DEFENDING champions, Woodpecker Hikers, were able to battle back from a goal down against Saints, in the feature female clash on Monday night in the GTT National Indoor Hockey Championships at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The game proved to be a battle of youth versus experience and for most of the first half and part of the second, youth prevailed. Saints, winners of the recently concluded Bounty Paper Towel Second Division Outdoor Development Hockey League, were excellent at all ends.

Captain Tekeisha DeLeon and Kezia Chinian made Saints’ defence impenetrable for most of the game.

After a goalless first half, the action heated up in the second.
Four minutes in, a pass by Mariah Seegobind (who played very well in front) to 14-year-old Clayza Bobb had her initially beating the defence before slotting the ball under the keeper’s extended right arm to send Saints 1-0 up.

The Hikers then began playing at second gear, which saw them attack with more control.
One such attack, nine minutes into the second half, resulted in a gift for Jasmine Assanah at the mouth of the goal, which equalled the score.

Although the Hikers stayed aggressive, the game looked set to finish in a draw, before a breakdown in defence resulted in Nicole Eastman taking the ball from the middle of the court and working her way up, before slotting home the winner in the last possession of the game.

The one-week event had six games on the opening night.
In the opener, Saints Sensations whipped YMCA Old Fort Hardball 9-0 after Shakeem Fausette netted four and Hilmar Chester a pair.

In the opening female encounter, the GBTI Spice, one of three GCC female teams in the championships, defeated YMCA Old Fort Bloods via first half goals from Vanessa Pires and Sandy Roopnarine.

An All-GCC female clash followed, with the GBTI GCC Tigers beating the GBTI GCC Spartans 4-1. Abosaide Cadogan opened the scoring in the 18th minute for the Spartans before Marzana Fiedtkou answered just before the break.

The Tigers stamped their authority on the game in the second period with another goal from Fiedtkou and successful strikes from Sonia Jardine and Gabriella Xavier.
In the lone Over-35 clash, GCC Bounty Vintage surged ahead of Antonio Hickers 9-4 after a dominant second period.

Alan Fernandes led the attack with a hat-trick, while Kevin Spencer and Dwayne Scott scored two each for the winners.

Brian Asregado finished with a brace for the Hickers, who were trailing 3-2 at the half.
Meanwhile, in the male first division battle, YMCA Old Fort beat Bounty GCC 5-2.

In the clash, Old Fort took the initiative early and were ahead 2-0 by the break before they scored another two goals in the second period to make it 4-0, GCC answered later. Their three goals came in the space of six minutes via the sticks of Dwayne Scott, Steven Xavier and Meshach Sargeant.

Ascofu Simon scored twice for Old Fort, while there was a goal each for Omar Hopkinson, Jason Desantos and Aderemi Simon.
The championship continues daily until Sunday.